nuc uninterested in new queen

[timjea]

two of 6 nucs I started early April seemed to have lost their queen, so I ordered a few.  I observed a behavior on the second nuc, that confused me so I'm asking for comments or experiences.  5 frame nucs.  IF the first nuc, it only took seconds after getting the queen cage close and the bees where RUNNING to the new queen.  They covered the little cage.  I inspected closely and it was all tongue action, to tails done trying to sting.  I could see excitement.  Great.

Second nuc was different, actually indifferent dewscribes it better.  They didn't care, I couldn't entice them to check out the new queen.  So I thought they really had a queen somewhere.  This nuc is six weeks old.  No eggs, no larva.  Quantity of bees starting to dwindle.  It did have one or more queen cells at 2 weeks (didn't take good notes).  So they didn't attack the new queen cell, and they didn't get excited like the first.  I brought her back home after inspecting for an existing queen again without seeing her.  Maybe there is a queen and she is out mating?  At six weeks?

I am thinking I could go close up the nuc tonight and then inspect for a queen tommorrow morning.  Thoughts and comments?

[Kathyp]

hard to tell, but i would have left the cage in.  sometimes they need time.

do your inspection tomorrow and if you still find that they look queenless, put the cage in and leave it.  check again in a couple of days to see what they are doing.

[buzzbee]

I might be more concerned with the ones running straight for the cage. Be sure they are not biting and clawing at the screen. that may be a sign of a queen already present in the nuc.

[timjea]

In the first nuc where they ran to the cage, I would definitely classify that as happy excited.  It was not aggressive appearing at all.

I'll go close up the second nuc tonight and then inspect it tommorrow early am.

[Michael Bush]

It's all in the details.  Some might be trying to feed her and some might be trying to get in to attack her.  But any bees tend to be excited to find a queen, either way...  I would be careful about drawing conclusions.